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(Celebration  Picture.  See  page  30) 


A  BOOK  OF  SUGGESTIONS  FOR 

THE  CELEBRATION  OF  THE 
FOUR  HUNDREDTH  ANNIVERSARY 


®fjc  Hutljeran  bureau  of 
®fje  iSational  ILutljeran  Council 

437  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


A  Book  of  Suggestions 


for 


THE  CELEBRATION  OF  THE 
FOUR  HUNDREDTH 
ANNIVERSARY 


Luther  at  Worms 

1521  —  1921 


* 


THE  LUTHERAN  BUREAU  OF 
THE  NATIONAL  LUTHERAN  COUNCIL 

437  FIFTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK 


FOREWORD 


In  order  to  meet  the  request  for  suggestions  in  a  general 
observance  of  the  four  hundredth  anniversary  of  Luther’s 
historic  stand  before  the  Diet  at  Worms,  April  18th,  1521,  this 
little  book  of  ideas  and  helps  has  been  prepared.  The  celebra¬ 
tion  naturally  begins  with  Sunday,  April  17th,  the  day  when 
Luther  was  first  summoned  before  the  Diet,  and  continues 
through  succeeding  months.  Out  of  door  pageants  have  been 
planned  for  May  and  June. 

Cordial  acknowledgment  is  here  made  for  contributions. 

The  “Celebration  Keynote”  was  prepared  by  Dr.  R.  A. 
Wentz;  “Luther  at  the  Diet  at  Worms,”  topic  for  young 
people’s  societies,  by  Rev.  C.  P.  Harry;  “Suggestions  for 
Sunday  School  Celebrations”  and  “The  Greatest  Moment  in 
Modern  History,”  by  Mrs.  E.  C.  Cronk;  “Ribliography,”  by  Dr. 
O.  M.  Norlie  and  Rev.  G.  L.  Kieffer;  “Luther  at  Worms,”  a 
poem  by  Laura  Scherer  Copenhaver.  A  number  of  others 
added  valuable  suggestions. 

The  entire  Church  life  of  America  was  stimulated  by  the 
Quadricentenary  of  the  nailing  up  of  the  theses  by  Luther, 
celebrated  in  1917.  May  we  not  hope  that  a  real  benefit  will 
come  from  a  fitting  observance  of  the  principles  established 
at  the  Diet  at  Worms? 

HOWARD  R.  GOLD, 

Director  of  Celebration. 


3 


CELEBRATION  MESSAGE 


Protestantism  throughout  the  world  will,  this  year,  celebrate  the 
four  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  Diet  at  Worms  at  which  the  stand 
of  Martin  Luther  upon  the  Scriptures  as  final  authority  in  faith  and 
conduct  made  possible  religious  and  civil  liberty  for  mankind. 

The  occasion  is  fitting  for  review  of  the  benefits  secured  to  the 
world  by  Luther’s  unshakable  “Here  I  stand.  I  cannot  do  otherwise. 
God  help  me,”  and  equally  fitting  for  the  reiteration  of  the  faith  of 
Protestantism  in  that  Word  as  its  immovable  foundation. 

The  National  Lutheran  Council  makes  the  following  suggestions 
for  the  celebration : 

1.  That  on  Sunday,  April  17th,  the  regular  congregational  service  be 
held  in  praise  to  God  for  Luther’s  stand  at  Worms. 

2.  That  persons  unable  to  assemble  with  others  for  worship  and  thanks¬ 
giving  engage  in  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and  in  meditation  at  four  o’clock 
on  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  April  17th,  the  hour  when  Luther  was  first  sum¬ 
moned  before  the  Diet. 

3.  That  prayers  include  petitions  for  the  purity  and  unity  of  the  faith, 
success  in  all  good  works,  the  advancement  of  true,  Christian  liberty  and 
universal  good  will. 

4.  That  Sunday  Schools  commemorate  the  day  by  the  introduction  of 
the  special  program  prepared  for  their  use. 

5.  That  young  people’s  societies  make  “Luther  at  the  Diet  at  Worms” 
the  theme  for  the  meeting  in  April  or  in  some  other  month  during  year  1921. 

6.  That  the  story  “The  Greatest  Moment  in  Modern  History”  be  told 
at  the  periods  for  week-day  religious  education  conducted  by  the  various 
churches. 

7.  That  Brotherhoods,  Women’s  Missionary  Societies,  and  other  church 
organizations  present  the  theme  “ The  Meaning  of  Martin  Lathers  Stand  at 
Worms  in  Modern  Life  and  Modern  Missions.” 

8.  That  colleges  include  in  their  lecture  courses  for  the  spring  of  1921  at 
least  one  lecture  which  will  emphasize  the  meaning  of  the  event  we  celebrate. 

9.  That  large  circulation  be  given  to  those  books  which  present  clearly 
the  story  and  the  meaning  of  the  Diet  at  Worms. 


Lauritz  Larsen, 

President  of  National  Lutheran  Council. 

Howard  R.  Gold, 

Director  of  Celebration. 


CELEBRATION  KEYNOTE 


On  April  eighteenth  next  it  will  be  exactly  four  hundred  years 
since  the  Middle  Ages  and  the  Modern  World  stood  face  to  face 
before  the  Diet  of  Worms.  Three  and  a  half  years  had  passed  since 
Martin  Luther  had  nailed  up  his  ninety-five  propositions  calling  into 
question  some  of  the  Church’s  practices  during  the  Middle  Ages.  All 
efforts  to  quiet  the  monk  had  only  made  him  more  determined  in  his 
position  and  more  vigorous  in  his  statements. 

That  a  man  is  saved  alone  by  divine  grace  through  faith  in  Christ 
and  not  by  man-made  ordinances  and  priestly  ceremonies  was  a  matter 
of  profound  experience  with  Luther,  and  he  could  not  be  silenced  by 
mere  logic  or  by  promises  of  bribes  or  threats  of  violence.  The  Pope 
threatened  him  with  excommunication.  Luther  publicly  burned  the 
document  of  the  threat  that  had  called  down  on  his  head  the  “holy 
curse”  of  the  Church-  Then  he  was  summoned  before  the  national 
assembly  of  the  Empire  itself  to  answer  for  his  utterances. 

The  tribunal  before  which  Luther  appeared  was  the  most  imposing 
assemblage  of  Church  and  State  potentates  that  could  have  been 
gathered  anywhere  in  the  world  at  that  time.  A  century  earlier  John 
Huss  appeared  before  such  a  body  under  very  similar  charges  and 
was  burned  at  the  stake.  Luther  knew  that,  but  fearlessly  he  went 
forward  to  the  test.  He  knew  that  his  writings  simply  gave  expression 
to  the  deepest  yearnings  of  multitudes  of  pious  souls  among  his 
countrymen.  The  issue  he  left  to  his  God. 

Summoned  before  the  imperial  court  and  called  on  before  that 
glittering  array  of  princes  and  ecclesiastics  to  recant  what  he  had  said 
and  written,  the  dauntless  monk  denounced  as  tyranny  the  papal  system 
that  had  enslaved  the  Christian  conscience ;  and  then  in  the  spirit  of  a 
new  age  made  that  dramatic  defence  of  his  position,  taking  firm  stand 
upon  the  sole  authority  of  the  Word  of  God  and  closing  with  the 
memorable  utterance :  “My  conscience  is  bound  to  the  Bible.  Unless 
I  am  convinced  by  clear  evidence  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  I  will  not 
and  cannot  recant.  God  help  me !  Amen !” 

Luther  had  arrived  at  a  new  principle  of  religious  authority.  This 
is  called  the  formal  principle  of  the  Reformation.  The  material  prin¬ 
ciple,  justification  by  faith  alone,  Luther  had  experienced  in  his  soul 
years  before  and  had  expressed  many  times  by  tongue  and  pen.  Now 
at  Worms  he  is  seen  to  have  taken  the  next  step.  He  definitely  rejects 
all  other  authority  in  matters  of  religion  than  the  Bible,  the  Word 
of  God.  And  from  that  day  to  this,  Protestants  acknowledge  the 
Word  of  God  to  be  the  only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice-  With 
the  dramatic  scene  at  Worms  therefore  Luther  burns  the  bridges  behind 
hinf.  A  Reformation  from  Rome  is  assured.  The  movement  has 
reached  the  constructive  stage. 

But  the  incident  contributed  another  principle  that  is  vital  to  the 
modern  world :  the  principle  of  separate  functions  for  Church  and  State-, 

6 


the  only  principle  that  guarantees  freedom  of  conscience,  the  right  of 
private  judgment  and  religious  toleration.  By  his  bold  stand  at  Worms 
Luther  called  down  on  his  head  the  ban  of  the  Empire.  But  for  once 
the  ban  of  the  Empire  and  excommunication  of  the  Pope  went  without 
effect.  Luther  had  successfully  shattered  the  unmodern  idea  that  the 
secular  power  is  the  bailiff  of  the  Church  and  that  the  government  has 
the  right  to  decide  questions  of  belief.  When  he  expressed  the  con¬ 
viction  that  thoughts  are  not  dutiable,  he  took  a  long  step  forward  in 
the  direction  of  the  modern  view  of  State  functions  and  the  modern 
idea  of  religious  freedom. 

It  was  an  imposing  assemblage  which  Luther  addressed  at  Worms. 
Imagination  readily  appreciates,  however,  that  in  reality  his  appeal 
was  addressed  in  the  name  of  God  to  an  audience  of  the  ages  to  follow. 
Times  not  yet  born  were  listening.  The  spirit  of  modern  liberty  was 
conceived  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  sixteenth  century  in  the  rugged 
soul  of  a  mediaeval  monk  in  Europe.  It  was  born  in  the  last  quarter 
of  the  eighteenth  century  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard  of  the  North 
American  continent.  And  now  in  this  first  quarter  of  the  twentieth 
century,  by  the  grace  of  God,  it  is  coming  to  full  maturity  all  over  the 
world.  Our  generation  therefore  should  gratefully  commemorate  the 
contest  between  the  two  eras  that  was  staged  at  Worms  on  April  18th, 
1521. • 

SERMONS 

The  congregational  celebration  should  be  chief  in  this  observance ;  the 
sermon  is  central. 

APPROPRIATE  TEXTS 

Stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  hath  made  us  free. — Gal.  V-l. 

Ye  shall  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free. — John  VIII-32. 

Where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there  is  liberty. — II  Cor.  III-17. 

Uphold  me  with  Thy  free  spirit. — Psalm  LI-12. 

We  should  serve  in  newness  of  spirit. — Romans  VII-6. 

Let  us  have  grace  whereby  we  may  serve  God  acceptably. — Heb.  XII-28. 

SUGGESTED  OUTLINE 

I.  RELEASED  FROM  : 

(The  Background) 

A.  Church  abuses:  (1)  Autocracy  and  legalism,  (2)  Other  wordliness, 
(3)  False  spirituality. 

B.  Social  wrongs:  (1)  Mendicancy,  (2)  Misuse  of  Church  funds, 
(3)  Extortion*  (4)  Feudalism. 

C.  Ignorance:  (1)  Of  the  Scriptures,  (2)  Of  the  physical  world, 

(3)  Of  means  of  spreading  knowledge. 

II.  RELEASED  BY  GOD,  THROUGH  LUTHER,  WHO  PREACHED: 

(The  Means) 

A.  The  freedom  of  the  believer  in  Christ:  (1)  From  sin,  (2)  From 
popes,  councils  and  lords,  (3)  From  empty,  formal  observances, 

(4)  From  superstition  and  credulity. 

B.  The  obligations  of  Christian  freedom:  (1)  Love  towards  God  and 
neighbor,  (2)  Stewardship  of  talents  and  means,  (3)  The  holiness 
of  service. 

III.  RELEASED  TO: 

(The  End) 

A.  Develop  fully  the  individual  life:  (1)  Through  direct  communion 
with  God,  (2)  Through  obedience  of  the  Word  and  conscience, 
(3)  Through  personal  service. 


7 


B.  Rebuild  the  Church  :  (1)  Through  fidelity  to  the  Word,  (2)  Through 
administration  of  the  Sacraments,  (3)  Through  extension  of  the 
Kingdom. 

C.  Re-vitalize  the  community  life:  (1)  Through  personal  rectitude  in 
private  and  vocational  life,  (2)  Through  active  Christian  citizenship. 

The  Summary: — Recapitulate  briefly  to  show  that  the  aim  is: 

(1)  The  salvation  of  all  men. 

(2)  Christianization  of  all  human  relationships. 

ADDRESSES 

Suggested  Topics  for  Societies  and  Group  Meetings  of  Any  Kind. 

1.  The  Historic  background  of  the  Diet  at  Worms. 

2.  The  Religious  Authority  re-established  at  Worms. 

3.  The  Influence  of  Luther’s  work  at  Worms  on  civic  life. 

4.  The  Separate  Functions  for  Church  and  State. 

5.  Luther  on  Christian  Stewardship. 

6.  Luther  at  Worms  and  World  Lutheranism. 

7.  Luther  at  Worms  and  the  World’s  Future. 

STEREOPTICON  LECTURES 

The  publication  houses,  as  a  rule,  have  illustrated  lectures  on  Reformation, 
which  may  be  rented  at  a  nominal  sum.  The  Lutheran  Bureau  has  one  on 
“Christian  Stewardship,”  which  includes  several  Luther  slides.  Other  firms 
having  Luther  lectures  are  the  George  W.  Bond  Slide  Co.,  14  Washington  St., 
Chicago,  Illinois;  Underwood  and  Underwood,  Inc.,  417  Fifth  Ave.,  New 
York  City;  Besler  Lantern  Slide  Co.,  131  East  23rd  St.,  New  York  City. 

LITERATURE 

Literature  on  the  Reformation,  and  even  on  the  Diet  at  Worms  as  one 
event  in  the  movement,  is  so  extensive  that  it  is  impracticable  to  compile  a  list 
of  references  here.  A  practical  bibliography  was  compiled  in  1917  which  is  still 
available  at  the  Bureau’s  office;  price  35  cents.  The  publication  houses  and  the 
Lutheran  Bureau  are  ready  to  give  suggestions.  Consult  public  and  private 
libraries.  See  bibliography  on  page  22. 

CELEBRATION  PICTURE 

The  celebration  picture  produced  especially  for  this  observance  is  intended 
for  unveiling  and  display  in  Sunday  Schools  and  other  departments  of  the 
Church,  and  may  be  framed  as  a  permanent  reminder  of  Luther  at  Worms. 
Available  at  the  Bureau  and  the  publication  houses  after  March  25. 

DRAMATIC  PRESENTATION 

There  are  several  good  pageant,  play  and  dialogue  texts  which  can  be 
secured.  Colleges  and  other  institutions  especially  may  be  interested  in  this 
form  of  observance.  Pageants  may  be  given  in  the  open,  in  the  early  Summer. 

SUNDAY  SCHOOLS 

Without  taking  too  much  time  in  preparation,  or  in  the  program  itself, 
Luther’s  historic  stand  and  the  benefits  derived  should  be  impressed  upon  the 
members  of  the  Sunday  School.  A  suggested  program  is  found  in  full  on 
pages  14  to  22. 

YOUNG  PEOPLE’S  SOCIETIES 

A  topic  for  presentation  at  a  meeting  in  April  is  suggested  on  pages  11  to  13. 
Additional  features  may  of  course  be  adopted.  See  also  pages  14  to  22,  where 
“The  Greatest  Moment  in  Modern  History”  and  poem  “Luther  at  Worms”  are 
found. 

WOMEN’S  SOCIETIES 

The  various  organizations  of  women  should  add  some  celebration  feature 
to  their  regular  programs  or  arrange  special  celebration  meetings.  Inasmuch 
as  many  women’s  missionary  societies  are  studying  the  book  “The  Bible  and 

8 


Missions”  this  year,  a  special  paper  or  address  on  the  theme  “What  Luther’s 
Stand  at  Worms  Has  Meant  to  Modern  Missions”  would  be  appropriate  and 
illuminating.  An  excellent  leaflet  entitled  “Martin  Luther,  the  Honored  Father 
of  all  the  Modern  Translators  of  the  Bible,”  containing  excerpts  from  papers 
published  in  the  Records  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  may  be  procured 
from  Literature  Headquarters,  844  Drexel  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

The  reading  of  “The  Celebration  Keynote”  or  “The  Greatest  Moment  in 
Modern  History”  may  be  made  a  feature  of  April  or  May  meetings. 

Lutheran  Women’s  Leagues  or  similar  organizations  may  be  able  to  arrange 
celebrations  with  suitable  programs. 

In  meetings  of  a  social  character  a  reception  to  the  ministers’  wives  of  the 
community  would  present  an  opportunity  for  an  interesting  emphasis  on  “The 
Pastor’s  Wife  and  the  Parsonage — Two  of  the  Gifts  of  the  Diet  at  Worms.” 

Other  themes  for  after-dinner  speeches  may  be  found  in  the  five  points 
given  on  pages  8  and  9. 

BROTHERHOODS 

Luther  was  a  man’s  man.  Princes,  peasants,  bankers,  lawyers,  farmers, 
preachers,  popes,  emperors, — all  had  respect  for  him.  Brotherhoods  within  their 
local  chapters  or  the  brotherhoods  of  a  community  might  well  discuss  Luther 
as  a  force  in  public  life, — that  is,  his  influence  on  the  social  and  economic  problems 
of  his  day.  The  background  of  the  Reformation  is  interesting. 

COLLEGE  AND  OTHER  INSTITUTIONS 

These  will  have  no  difficulty  in  adapting  a  suitable  celebration  program. 
Lectures,  musicales,  pageants,  readings,  mass  meetings  suggest  themselves. 

COMMUNITY  MEETINGS 

As  the  Diet  at  Worms  ushered  in  the  new  state  and  made  possible  modern 
civil  liberty  and  the  modern  free  institutions,  the  event  may  well  be  observed 
by  means  of  large  community  gatherings. 

PUBLICITY 

In  order  that  the  community  in  general,  particularly  those  who  do  not  join 
in  the  celebration  meetings,  may  get  the  essentials  of  the  celebration,  considerable 
attention  should  be  given  to  adequate  publicity.  Speak  early  to  the  local  papers 
about  your  plans  and  arrange  with  them  both  for  advance  news  and  for  the 
reports  at  the  time  of  meetings,  etc.  For  the  sake  of  general  publicity  and  for 
record,  send  copies  of  programs  and  newspaper  reports  to  the  Lutheran  Bureau; 
especially  send  the  Bureau  your  plans  well  in  advance. 


VOCAL  MUSIC 

CANTATAS 

BERGQUIST 

Reformation  Cantata,  for  Chorus,  Soprano,  Tenor,  Bass,- and  Orchestra. 
Words  by  E.  W.  Olson.  Music  by  J.  V.  Bergquist.  Augustana  Book  Concern. 
Price  $1.00.  Time  of  rendition  about  an  hour.  Written  for  the  1917  Quadri- 
centenary. 

CHRISTIANSEN 

Reformation  Cantata,  for  Baritone,  Tenor,  Soprano,  Chorus,  and  Or¬ 
chestra.  Text  by  W.  Pettersen.  Music  by  F.  Melius  Christiansen.  Augsburg 
Publishing  House,  Minneapolis,  Minn.  Price  35  cents  with  discount  in  quantities. 
Time  of  rendition  about  35  minutes.  Written  for  the  1917  Quadricentenary. 

GILCHRIST 

God  Is  Our  Refuge  and  Strength  (46th  Psalm).  G.  Schirmer,  3  E.  43rd 
St.,  New  York.  Price  $1.00,  less  10  per  cent. 


9 


MATTHEWS 

The  City  of  God:  Festival  Cantata.  Text  arranged  from  Holy  Scripture 
by  Luther  D.  Reed,  D.D.  Music  composed  by  H.  Alexander  Matthews.  G. 
Schirmer,  3  E.  43rd  St.,  New  York.  80  pp.  Price,  single  copy,  75  cents,  with 
discounts.  Written  for  the  1917  Quadricentenary. 

ANTHEMS 

CHRISTIANSEN 

St.  Olaf  Choir  Series.  A  new  collection  of  anthems  for  mixed  choirs, 
compiled  and  edited  by  F.  Melius  Christiansen.  Each  vol.  contains  25  numbers. 
Augsburg  Publishing  House,  Minneapolis.  Price  $1.00  per  vol. 

DICKENSON 

Jesus  Source  of  Purest  Pleasure  (mixed  Chorus;  traditional  melody). 
FOOTE 

God  Is  Our  Refuge  and  Strength.  H.  W.  Gray  Co.,  2  W.  45th  St., 
New  Yoik. 

GARRETT 

Jubilate  Deo  (From  Service  in  F,  No.  3).  H.  W.  Gray  Co.,  2  W.  45th 
St.,  New  York. 

HOPKINS 

Thy  Mercy,  O  Lord.  H.  W.  Gray  Co.,  2  W.  45th  St.,  New  York. 
LEWARS 

Blessing,  Glory,  Wisdom  and  Thanks  (without  Solos).  Theo.  Presser, 
1712  Chestnut  St.,  Philadelphia.  Price  12  cents,  less  20%  for  5  or  more. 

Prize  anthem  for  the  1917  Quadricentenary. 
MENDELSSOHN 

Sleepers  Wake;  Choral  from  “St;  Paul.” 

O  Come,  Let  Us  Worship.  Oliver  Ditson  Co.,  Boston. 

OHL 

I  Will  Extol  Thee  (for  large  Chorus,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  duet 
for  Soprano  and  Alto).  Theo.  Presser,  1712  Chestnut  St.,  Philadelphia.  Price 
12  cents,  less  20%  for  5  or  more. 

Prize  anthem  fon  the  1917  Quadricentenary. 

PALMER 

Trust  Ye  in  the  Mighty  God.  Emanuel  Schmauk,  275  E.  15th  St., 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Price  8  cents. 

RILE 

I  Will  Extol  Thee,  My  God,  O  King  (for  Baritone  Solo,  Quartet,  and 
chorus;  good  for  smaller  choirs).  Theo.  Presser,  1712  Chestnut  St.,  Phila¬ 
delphia.  12  cents,  less  20%  for  5  or  more. 

Prize  anthem  for  the  1917  Quadricentenary. 
SOMMER-SCHMAUK 

God  Is  Our  Refuge  and  Strength.  Emanuel  Schmauk,  275  E.  15th  St., 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Price  15  cents. 

STAINER 

Jubilate  Deo,  in  E  b.  G.  Schirmer,  3  E.  43rd  St.,  New  York.  Price  12 

cents,  less  10%. 

STANFORD 

Jubilate  Deo,  in  B  b.  Oliver  Ditson  Co.,  Boston. 

SULLIVAN 

I  Will  Mention  Thy  Loving  Kindness.  H.  W.  Gray  Co.,  2  W.  45th  St., 
New  York. 

TOURS 

Blessing,  Glory,  Wisdom.  H.  W.  Gray  Co.,  2  W.  45th  St.,  New  York. 

ORGAN  MUSIC 

BACH 

The  Choral  Preludes.  Volume  of  “The  Organ  Work  of  J.  S.  Bach.” 
Edited  bv  Ivor  Atkins. 

The  following  Preludes  in  this  collection  were  written  to  Chorals 
by  Luther  or  by  his  contemporaries,  for  the  Reformation.  Some  of  these 
are  Luther’s  adaptations  of  older  words  and  music.  They  contain 


10 


among  them  the  following:  Nun  Komm  Heiden  Heiland,  Vater  Unser, 
Gottes  Sohn  ist  Kommen,  Da  Jesus  an  dem  Kreuze,  etc. 

FISCHER 

Prelude  and  Fugue  on  “Ein  Feste  Burg.”  Opus  1. 

REGER 

Fantasias  on  Two  Old  Chorals.  Opus  40. 

Fantasias  on  Three  Old  Chorals.  Opus  52. 

SCHELLENBERG 

Fantasie  (Ein  Feste  Burg)  fiir  die  Orgel.  Opus  3. 

STRAUBE 

Choral  Preludes  (Choral  Vorspiele  Alter  Meister).  Edited  by  Karl 

Straube. 

The  following  Choral  Preludes  in  this  collection  were  written 
to  Luther  Chorals  or  Chorals  composed  by  his  contemporaries,  for  the 
Reformation  movement:  “Der  Herr  zu  Jordan  Kam,”  “Ein  Feste  Burg,” 
“Christ  Lag  in  Todes  Banden,”  “Aus  Tiefer  Noth,”  “Warum  Betriibst 
du  dich,  mein  Herz,”  etc. 

WALTHER 

Choral  Preludes:  Choral  Vorspiele  (Denkmaler  deutscher  Tonkunst: 
erste  Folge).  Vols.  26  and  27. 

FOR  ORCHESTRA  AND  BAND 

HANDEL 

Hallelujah  Chorus  (from  “The  Messiah”).  Orchestra  No.  T  260, 
Band  No.  U  281. 

LUTHER 

Choral:  A  Mighty  Fortress.  Band  No.  Q  403.  This  number  can  be 
played  as  Quartet  for  the  following  combinations:  1st  and  2nd  Cornets  and  1st 
and  2nd  Trombones;  or  four  Saxophones;  or  E  b  Cornet,  1st  and  2nd  Altos 
and  Baritone. 

MENDELSSOHN 

Choral:  “To  God  on  High”  (from  “St.  Paul”):  Orchestra  No.  T  299, 
Band  No,  U  291. 

NICOLAI 

Festival  Overture  on  “A  Mighty  Fortress.”  Orchestra  No.  T  550,  Band 
No.  W  471. 

WEBER 

Jubel  Overture  (concluding  with  “America”).  Band  No.  J  78. 

These  compositions  can  be  obtained  from  Carl  Fischer,  48  Cooper  Square, 
New  York.  The  numbers  indicate  the  order  number. 

FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE’S  SOCIETIES 

LUTHER  AT  THE  DIET  AT  WORMS 

WHAT  PRECEDED. — In  1517  Luther  nailed  the  Ninety-five 
Theses  to  the  door  of  the  Church  at  Wittenberg,  challenging  to  a  debate 
on  the  question  of  Indulgences.  This  is  the  beginning  of  his  open  break 
with  the  authorities  of  the  Church  of  Rome  and  it  is  also  the  beginning 
of  the  Protestant  Reformation. 

In  1519,  Luther  debated  the  question  of  the  authority  of  the  Pope 
with  Eck  at  Leipsic.  The  debate  began  on  July  4th — a  day  on  which 
we  celebrate  both  the  American  Declaration  of  Independence  and  its 
great  precursor,  Luther’s  Stand  at  Leipsic.  In  that  debate  he  took 
the  position  that  there  can  be  no  authority  binding  on  a  man’s  con¬ 
science  except  the  Word  of  God. 

In  1520  the  Pope  issued  a  Bull  or  proclamation  calling  on  Luther 
to  recant  within  sixty  days  on  pain  of  excommunication.  Instead 
Luther  burned  the  proclamation  publicly  on  a  bonfire  just  outside  the 
walls  of  Wittenberg.  The  Pope’s  excommunication  followed  in  1521. 


11 


This  forbade  the  faithful  giving  shelter  to  Luther,  and  called  upon  the 
civil  authorities  to  execute  him.  Luther  appealed  to  the  Emperor 
for  an  impartial  commission  to  investigate  his  claims.  For  political 
reasons,  the  Emperor  delayed  execution  of  the  Pope’s  Excommunica¬ 
tion  on  Luther,  and  finally  summoned  him  to  appear  before  the  Diet 
being  held  at  Worms. 

THE  EVENT. — The  Diet  or  Congress  of  the  Empire  had 
assembled  in  Worms,  early  in  1521.  Luther  was  summoned  to  appear, 
after  it  had  been  sitting  for  some  time.  The  summons  reached  him 
during  Holy  Week.  He  set  out  for  Worms,  on  Tuesday  after  Easter, 
safeguarded  by  the  Imperial  herald.  When  he  reached  Worms  the 
whole  city  turned  out  to  see  him  pass  through  the  street.  It  was  a 
genuine  ovation.  Many  had  attempted  to  dissuade  him  from  going, 
fearing  foul  play  such  as  had  overtaken  Huss  a  hundred  years  before. 
But  having  been  summoned  to  make  a  public  declaration  and  stand 
a  public  trial,  nothing  could  deter  him.  The  day  after  his  arrival, 
April  17th,  he  was  directed  to  appear  before  the  Diet  at  four  o’clock 
in  the  afternoon.  The  streets  were  so  crowded  with  people  eager  to 
see  him,  that  he  had  to  be  conducted  through  alleys  and  gardens  to  the 
Bishop’s  Palace  where  the  Diet  was  sitting.  It  was  six  o’clock  when 
he  finally  stood  before  the  Diet.  His  books  lay  upon  a  table  in  front 
of  the  *Emperor.  One  of  the  most  dramatic  and  decisive  moments  of 
history  had  arrived.  Facing  the  young  Emperor  surrounded  by  the 
princes  of  the  realm  and  the  representatives  of  the  Free  Cities  of 
Germany,  stood  the  young  monk,  until  but  a  short  time  before  obscure 
and  unknown.  He  faced  the  most  august  body  in  Christendom, 
professing  to  represent  officially  its  mature  decision.  “To  challenge  an 
infamous  death  was  the  least  part  of  his  courage;  to  set  up  his  own 
individual  belief  and  conscience  against  the  deliberate,  ancient  and 
almost  universal  opinion  of  men  required  an  audacity  no  less  than 
sublime.” 

Luther  was  asked  if  the  books  on  the  table  were  his  and  if  he 
wished  to  recant  in  whole  or  in  part  what  they  contained.  After  the 
titles  had  been  read,  Luther  said  that  the  books  were  his,  but  that  he 
would  like  to  have  twenty-four  hours  for  consideration  before  answer¬ 
ing  the  question  of  recantation.  This  was  granted  him. 

The  next  day,  April  18th,  he  was  asked  the  same  question  and 
replied  that  as  the  books  were  not  all  of  one  kind,  he  could  not  make 
a  sweeping  answer,  but  many  things  in  them  he  could  not  recant.  Then 
the  examiner  demanded  a  simple  answer  to  the  question,  “Will  you 
recant  or  not?”  Luther  replied,  “My  conscience  is  bound  to  the  Bible. 
Unless  I  am  convinced  by  the  clear  evidence  of  the  Holy  Scripture, 

I  will  not  and  cannot  recant.  God  help  me.  Amen.”  The  Emperor 
was  amazed.  The  people  were  delighted.  Popular  sentiment  ran  high 
in  Luther’s  favor.  He  remained  in  Worms  a  few  days,  and  then 
started  out  to  return  to  Wittenberg. 

WHAT  IT  SIGNIFIES. — First  of  all  personal  liberty.  Con¬ 
science  had  been  bound  for  centuries  by  the  official  Church  organiza¬ 
tion  and  its  representatives.  Through  Luther’s  bold  stand,  men  took 
courage  everywhere  to  speak  and  live  as  God  gave  them  to  see  His 


12 


will.  Liberty  of  conscience  is  almost  an  axiom  of  modern  life.  It 
is  hard  to  imagine  what  it  must  have  been  like  with  conscience  bound 
by  priests  and  popes.  The  liberty  we  enjoy  in  personal  life  would 
never  have  been  known  to  us  but  for  the  stand  Luther  took  at  Worms. 

Second :  scientific  research.  With  conscience  bound  by  the  Church 
and  every  thought  governed  by  the  priests,  it  was  impossible  to  conduct 
real  scientific  research  without  incurring  great  personal  danger,  and 
without  the  risk  of  having  one’s  labors  cast  to  the  fire  because  of  the 
reactionary  opposition  of  ecclesiastical  authority. 

Third :  modern  education,  with  its  free  schools  and  learning  for 
all.  The  ancient  line  between  the  clerics  or  clerks,  who  could  read  and 
write,  and  laymen,  who  could  do  neither,  no  longer  exists.  All  read 
and  write,  and  the  blessings  of  knowledge  are  not  confined  to  the  few 
who  hold  ecclesiastical  power  in  their  hands. 

Fourth :  democracy.  Democracy  would  never  have  appeared  in 
Europe  or  America  without  Luther’s  stand  at  Worms.  The  religious 
liberty  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  our  own  conscience, 
guaranteed  in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  rises  directly  out 
of  Luther’s  position  at  Worms.  It  is  the  national  fruit  of  a  personal 
stand.  This  required  the  separation  of  the  Church  and  the  State.  The 
German  princes  sheltered  Luther  and  his  followers  until  the  move¬ 
ment  had  grown  so  strong  that  no  power  in  Europe  could  put  it  down. 
Then  it  was  recognized  by  the  State,  and  the  right  to  exist  and  function 
as  a  Church  was  given  to  the  Lutherans  in  the  Empire,  protected 
equally  with  the  Church  of  Rome.  That  is,  separation  of  Church  and 
State  and  the  guarantee  of  religious  liberty. 

Fifth:  the  place  of  the  Bible.  Luther  was  not  a  free  thinker. 
He  stands  on  the  Bible.  His  conscience  is  bound  to  the  Bible,  captive 
to  the’  Word  of  God.  He  stands  not  so  much  for  personal  liberty,  as 
for  God’s  liberty  to  speak  to  a  man  and  work  through  him  by  His 
Word.  Luther  would  make  as  short  shift  of  the  men  who  boldly 
proclaim  their  own  wisdom  against  the  Word  of  God,  as  h$  did  of  the 
priestcraft  of  his  day  which  opposed  that  same  Word. 

Practically,  as  well  as  historically,  this  means  that  the  Bible  is 
the  foundation  of  liberty  and  democracy.  The  most  serious  blow  we 
can  give  democracy  is  to  remove  the  Bible  from  Education,  to  neglect 
it  in  our  homes,  to  question  it  in  our  pulpits. 

It  is  well  to  be  reminded  of  these  facts  in  these  days  of  uncertainty, 
when  men  seek  liberty  in  unbridled  self-seeking.  We  rightly  prize 
our  democracy.  We  must  extend  it  over  the  face  of  the  whole  earth. 
We  can  do  so  only  as  we  keep  fhe  Bible  where  it  ought  to  be — at  the 
base  of  it  all.  The  world  will  be  safe  for  democracy  only  when  the 
Bible  is  honored  and  obeyed  in  every  land  and  in  all  groups  in  society. 
We  need  fear  no  pacifism  or  militarism,  no  capitalism  or  communism, 
if  we  make  the  Bible  our  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  When  our 
conscience  is  captive  to  the  Word  of  God  we  have  true  liberty  and 
live  in  real  democracy. 

Reading  References: — “The  History  of  the  Reformation”  (2 
Vols.)  T.  M.  Lindsay.  “The  Life  and  Letters  of  Martin  Luther”  Pre¬ 
served  Smith.  “The  Theology  of  Martin  Luther”  (2  Vols.)  Koestlin. 


13 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

CELEBRATIONS 

1.  Every  Sunday  School  should  use  this  occasion  to  impress  the  story  and 
meaning  of  Luther’s  heroic  stand  at  Worms.  Some  schools  may  have  to  adapt 
and  simplify  the  program  given.  Do  not  overlook  the  fact  that  preparation  of 
mottoes  and  charts,  and  memory  work,  is  not  for  spectacular  effect  only  but  is 
of  educational  value. 

2.  Create  an  atmosphere  that  zvill  deepen  impressions  of  the  program: — 
have  special  ushers  or  a  reception  committee  selected  from  various  departments 
or  from  one  department.  Let  boys  carry  shields  made  of  dark  blue  or  black 
cardboard  with  white  lettering,  or  of  white  cardboard  with  blue  or  black  lettering, 
bearing  the  zvords : 

LUTHER  AT  WORMS 
April  18 
1521—1921 

Girls  may  zvear  scarfs  of  tarlatan  or  cheesecloth  with  similar  lettering. 
Decorate  walls  zvith  charts  and  mottoes  made,  if  possible,  by  different  depart¬ 
ments,  according  to  assignment : 

“Here  I  stand.  I  cannot  do  otherwise.  '  God  help  me.  Amen.” — Martin 
Luther. 

“Unless  I  am  convinced  by  the  word  of  God  Himself,  by  which  alone 
my  conscience  is  bound,  I  neither  can  nor  will  recant  anything.” 

— Martin  Luther. 

“It  is  neither  right  nor  safe  for  a  Christian  to  speak  against  his 
conscience.” — Martin  Luther. 

“My  conscience  is  bound  to  the  Bible.” — Martin  Luther. 

“I  will  not  flee,  much  less  will  I  recant.” — Martin  Luther. 

“I  fight  not  for  myself,  but  for  the  honor  of  Christ.” — Martin  Luther. 

As  many  other  mottoes  or  quotations  as  may  be  desired  may  be  added. 
Other  wall  decorations  may  be  made  with  draperies  or  hangings  of  the  Luther 
colors — black,  red,  white,  blue  and  gold — the  Luther  coat  of  arms,  pennants,  etc. 

3.  Make  very  clear  to  the  school  that  this  celebration  is  not  merely  in 
honor  of  a  man,  but  in  recognition  of  the  truths  of  God’s  word  for  which1 
that  man  stood. 

4.  The  following  short  program  has  been  prepared  for  use  at  the  regular 
Sunday  School  session.  It  may  be  given  in  about  thirty  minutes,  leaving  the 
usual  time  for  the  lesson  period.  In  some  schools  it  may  be  necessary  to  adapt  it 
for  use  m  various  departments  if  the  whole  school  is  not  gathered  together. 
It  may  be  adapted  also  for  young  people’s  meetings. 

PROGRAM  OUTLINE  FOR  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS 

1.  Four  Minute  Statement,  by  the  pastor,  of  the  message  of  the  National 
Lutheran  Council  for  the  celebration  of  this  day  and  what  it  means. 

2.  Hymn.  The  Church’s  One  Foundation. 

The  Church’s  one  foundation  is  Jesus  Christ,  her  Lord; 

She  is  His  new  creation  by  water  and  the  Word; 

From  heav’n  He  came  and  sought  her  to  be  His  holy  Bride, 

With  His  own  Blood  He  bought  her,  and  for  her  life  He  died. 

Elect  from  ev’ry  nation,  yet  one  o’er  all  the  earth, 

Her  charter  of  salvation,  one  Lord,  one  Faith,  one  Birth ; 

One  holy  Name  she  blesses,  partakes  one  holy  Food, 

And  to  one  hope  she  presses,  with  ev’ry  grace  endued. 


14 


Tho’,  with  a  scornful  wonder,  men  see  her  sore  oppressed, 

By  schisms  rent  asunder,  by  heresies  distressed; 

Yet  saints  their  watch  are  keeping,  their  cry  goes  up,  “How  long?” 

And  soon  the  night  of  weeping  shall  be  the  morn  of  song. 

’Mid  toil  and  tribulation,  and  tumult  of  her  war, 

She  waits  the  consummation  of  peace  for  evermore; 

Till,  with  the  vision  glorious,  her  longing  eyes  are  blest, 

And  the  great  Church  victorious  shall  be  the  Church  at  rest. 

Amen. 

3.  Prayer. 

Four  Views  of  Martin  Luther,  the  Hero  of  Worms 

(1)  Luther  the  friend  of  little  children. — One  minute  statement  by 
superintendent  of  Kindergarten  Department  about  Luther’s  love  for  children, 
and  the  songs  he  wrote  for  them,  followed  by  the  hymn  “Away  in  a  manger’’ 
sung  by  Kindergarten  Department. 

Away  in  the  Manger 

.  Away,  in  the  manger,  no  crib  for  a  bed, 

The  little  Lord  Jesus  laid  down  His  sweet  head; 

The  stars  in  the  sky  looked  down  where  He  lay ; 

The  little  Lord  Jesus  asleep  on  the  hay. 

The  cattle  are  lowing,  the  baby  awakes, 

The  little  Lord  Jesus,  no  crying  He  makes, 

I  love  Thee,  Lord  Jesus,  look  down  from  the  sky, 

And  stay  by  my  side,  till  morning  is  high. 

Be  near  me,  Lord  Jesus,  I  ask  Thee  to  stay, 

Close  by  me,  forever,  and  love  me,  I  pray, 

Bless  all  the  dear  children  in  Thy  tender  care 
And  fit  us  for  heaven,  to  live  with  Thee  there. 

(2)  Luther  the  loving  father. — One  minute  statement  by  superintendent 
of  Primary  Department  about  Luther  and  his  own  children,  followed  by  the 
reading  by  boy  of  the  Primary  Department  of  the  following  letter  written  by 
Luther  to  his  little  son,  Hans  : 

“Grace  and  peace  in  Christ,  dear  little  son.  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are 
studying  and  saying  your  prayers.  Continue  to  do  so,  my  son,  and  when  I 
come  home  I  will  bring  you  a  pretty  present. 

“I  know  a  lovely,  pleasant  garden  where  many  children  are;  they  wear 
golden  jackets  and  gather  nice  apples  under  the  trees  and  pears  and  cherries 
and  purple  plums  and  yellow  plums,  and  sing  and  run  and  jump  and  are  happy 
and  have  pretty  little  ponies  with  golden  reins  and  silver  saddles.  I  asked 
the  man  who  owned  the  garden  whose  children  they  were.  He  said :  ‘They  are 
the  children  who  say  their  prayers  and  study  and  are  good.’  Then  said  I : 
‘Dear  man,  I  also  have  a  son  whose  name  is  Hans  Luther ;  may  he  come  into 
the  garden  and  eat  the  sweet  apples  and  pears  and  ride  a  fine  pony  and  play 
with  these  children?’  Then  the  man  said:  ‘If  he  says  his  prayers  and  is  good, 
he  can  come  into  the  garden  and  Phil  and  Justy  too,  and  when  they  all  come 
they  shall  have  whistles  and  drums  and  fifes  and  dance  and  shoot  little 
cross-bows.’  But  it  was  yet  early  and  the  children  had  not  finished  eating  and 
I  could  not  wait  to  see  them  dance,  so  I  said  to  the  man :  ‘My  dear  sir,  I 
must  go  away  and  write  at  once  to  my  dear  little  Hans  about  all  this,  so  that 
he  will  say  his  prayers  and  study  and  be  good,  so  that  he  may  come  into 
the  garden,  and  he  has  an  Auntie  Lena  whom  he  must  bring  with  him.’  Then 
the  man  said :  ‘All  right,  go  and  tell  him  about  it.’  So,  dear  little  Hans,  study 
and  say  your  prayers  and  tell  Phil  and  Justy  to  say  their  prayers  and  study  too, 
so  you  may  all  come  into  the  garden  together.  God  bless  you.  Give  Auntie  Lena 
my  love  and  a  kiss  from  me.  Your  loving  father,  Martin  Luther.” 


15 


(3)  Luther  the  Bible  Lover  and  Student. — One  minute  statement  by- 
superintendent  of  Junior  Department  of  Luther’s  love  for  the  Bible  and  his 
frequent  quoting  of  the  forty-sixth  Psalm  which  is  called  “The  Mighty  Fortress 
Psalm,”  followed  by  reciting  of  this  psalm  by  the  Junior  Department  or 
members  selected  therefrom. 

The  46th  Psalm 

GOD  is  our  Refuge  and  Strength :  a  very  present  help  in  trouble. 

Therefore  will  not  we  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed :  and  though 
the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of  the  sea. 

Though  the  waters  thereof  roar  and  be  troubled :  though  the  mountains 
shake  with  the  swelling  thereof. 

There  is  a  river,  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad  the  city  of  God; 
the  holy  place  of  the  tabernacles  of  the  Most  High. 

God  is  in  the  midst  of  her,  she  shall  not  be  moved:  God  shall  help  her, 
and  that  right  early. 

The  heathen  raged,  the  kingdoms  were  moved :  He  uttered  His  voice,  the 
earth  melted. 

The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us :  the  God  of  Jacob  is  our  Refuge. 

Come,  behold  the  works  of  the  Lord :  what  desolations  He  hath  made  in 
the  earth. 

He  maketh  wars  to  cease  unto  the  end  of  the  earth :  He  breaketh  the 
bow,  and  cutteth  the  spear  in  sunder,  He  burneth  the  chariot  in  the  fire. 

Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God :  I  will  be  exalted  among  the  heathen, 
I  will  be  exalted  in  the  earth. 

The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us:  the  God  of  Jacob  is  our  Refuge. 

(4)  How  Great  Men  of  all  Nations  Have  Viewed  the  Hero  of  Worms. — 
One  minute  statement  by  superintendent  of  Intermediate  Department,  followed 
by  quotations  given  by  members  of  the  Intermediate  Department : 

George  William  Curtis  said :  “In  the  truest  sense  Luther  is  the  father  of 
modern  civilization.” 

“The  Diet  of  Worms  may  be  considered  the  greatest  moment  in  the 
modern  history  of  men,”  said  Thomas  Carlyle. 

“Our  civil  liberty  is  the  result  of  the  open  Bible  which  Luther  gave  us,” 
said  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

Phillips  Brooks  said :  “All  human  progress  must  remember  Martin  Luther.” 

“Blessed  be  the  day  of  Martin  Luther’s  birth,”  said  Robert  Southey,  Poet 
Laureate  of  England. 

John  Calvin  said:  “It  is  not  so  much  Luther  who  speaks,  as  God,  whose 
lightnings  burst  from  his  lips.” 

Daniel  Treadwell  said :  “That  the  principles  of  Martin  Luther  are  the 
fundamental  principles  of  our  American  Republic  there  can  be  no  question.” 

As  many  other  quotations  as  desired  may  be  added. 

5.  Hymn.  “A  Mighty  Fortress  is  Our  God.”  ! 

A  mighty  Fortress  is  our  God,  a  trusty  Shield  and  Weapon; 

He  helps  us  free  from  ev’ry  need  that  hath  us  now  o’ertaken. 

The  old  bitter  foe 
Means  us  deadly  woe : 

Deep  guile  and  great  might 
Are  his  dread  arms  in  fight, 

On  earth  is  not  his  equal. 

With  might  of  ours  can  naught  be  done,  soon  were  our  loss  effected; 

But  for  us  fights  the  Valiant  One  whom  God  Himself  elected. 

Ask  ye,  who  is  this? 

Jesus  Christ  it  is, 

Of  Sabaoth  Lord, 

And  there’s  none  other  God, 

He  holds  the  field  forever. 


1 6 


Tho’  devils  all  the  world  should  fill,  all  watching  to  devour  us, 
We  tremble  not,  we  fear  no  ill,  they  cannot  overpow’r  us. 

This  world’s  prince  may  still 
Scowl  fierce  as  he  will, 

He  can  harm  us  none. 

He’s  judged,  the  deed  is  done, 

One  little  word  o’erthrows  him. 


The  Word  they  still  shall  let  remain,  and  not  a  thank  have  for  it, 
He’s  by  our  side  upon  the  plain,  with  His  good  gifts  and  Spirit. 
Take  they  then  our  life, 

Goods,  fame,  child,  and  wife; 

When  their  worst  is  done, 

They  have  yet  nothing  won, 

The  Kingdom  ours  remaineth. 


Amen. 


6.  Reading.  “The  Greatest  Moment  in  Modern  History,”  and  unveiling 
of  Luther  picture  or  poster.  Almost  every  Sunday  School  can  secure  someone 
with  dramatic  ability  who  will  memorize  the  following  story  and  give  it  as  a 
reading.  If  this  is  not  possible  have  it  told  or  read  by  a  good  story  teller. 
In  the  center  of  superintended s  platform,  on  an  easel  or  on  the  Wall,  place 
the  special  celebration  picture  of  Luther  at  Worms  which  may  be  ordered  from 
the  publication  houses  or  the  Lutheran  Bureau.  Have  it  veiled  with  a  Christian 
flag  or  draperies  of  the  Luther  colors.  Let  two  of  the  ushers  wearing  sashes 
or  carrying  shields  stand  on  either  side  of  the  picture  as  the  story  is  read  or  told. 
As  the  speaker  says:  “In  what  Thomas  Carlyle  has  declared  the  greatest  moment 
in  the  modern  history  of  man,  Martin  Luther ”  have  ushers  draw  the  cords,  that 
have  been  previously  arranged,  so  picture  is  unveiled,  the  school  rising  as  this  is 
done.  As  story  is  concluded  Superintendent  should  call  the  school  to  rise  and 
sing  : 

7.  Hymn.  “Lord  Keep  Us  Steadfast  in  Thy  Word.” 

Lord,  keep  us  steadfast  in  Thy  Word : 

Curb  those  who  fain  by  craft  or  sword 
Would  wrest  the  kingdom  from  Thy  Son, 

And  set  at  naught  all  He  hath  done. 


Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Thy  pow’r  make  known ; 
For  Thou  art  Lord  of  lords  alone : 

Defend  Thy  Christendom,  that  we 
May  evermore  sing  praise  to  Thee. 


O  Comforter,  of  priceless  worth, 

Send  peace  and  unity  on  earth, 

Support  us  in  our  final  strife, 

And  lead  us  out  of  death  to  life. 

Amen. 

8.  Prayer.  That  we  may  be  faithful  to  the  heritage  that  is  ours  and  give 
the  Bible  in  its  truth  and  purity  to  “every  nation.” 

The  poem,  “Luther  at  Worms,”  on  page  22,  may  be  recited  before  the 
singing  of  hymn  if  desired. 


1 7 


THE  GREATEST  MOMENT  IN 
MODERN  HISTORY 

Copyrighted.  For  permission  to  reprint  address  Lutheran  Bureau 

of  the  National  Lutheran  Council,  437  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York. 

On  Tuesday  after  Easter,  in  the  year  1521,  a  carriage  was  leaving 
the  city  of  Wittenberg  in  Germany. 

In  front  of  the  carriage  rode  a  herald ;  following  after  it  were 
a  number  of  horsemen ;  inside  sat  four  men. 

The  emperor  himself,  Charles  V,  had  summoned  Martin  Luther 
to  appear  before  him  in  the  city  of  Worms  to  answer  the  charges  that 
had  been  made  against  him.  The  city  of  Wittenberg  had  furnished 
the  carriage  and  three  escorts,  and  now  their  beloved  “Dr.  Martin,” 
was  on  his  way  to  answer  the  emperor’s  summons. 

All  Germany  was  stirred  by  the  boldness  of  Luther,  the  monk 
who  had  dared  to  protest  against  the  sale  of  indulgences  which  promised 
the  forgiveness  of  sins  to  those  who  paid  the  price  named  by  the 
Pope  and  his  priests. 

Luther  had  declared  that  even  the  Pope  and  his  councils  made 
mistakes,  and  that  to  every  man  should  be  given  the  right  to  read  God’s 
Word  for  himself  and  to  know  that  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  alone  can 
men  be  saved.  On  the  door  of  the  Castle  Church  at  Wittenberg  he  had 
nailed  ninety-five  clear  statements  about  the  teachings  of  God’s  Word. 
The  Pope  had  issued  a  decree,  with  the  papal  bulla  or  seal,  stating 
that  Martin  Luther  was  cast  out  from  the  Church — a  teacher  of  false 
doctrine.  Yet  all  over  the  land  the  weary,  oppressed  people  hailed 
Luther  as  the  liberator  of  truth,  and  eagerly  bought  and  read  his  books. 

As  his  carriage  went  onward,  great  crowds  of  people  who  learned 
that  Martin  Luther  was  going  to  Worms  came  out  to  meet  him.  Ten 
miles  from  the  city  of  Erfurt  forty  horsemen  advanced  to  escort 
Luther  into  the  city.  Further  on  the  procession  was  joined  by  pro¬ 
fessors,  university  students  and  citizens.  A  poem  written  in  Luther’s 
honor  was  read  and  an  oration  delivered.  On  Sunday  he  preached  in 
the  church  at  Erfurt  and  the  people  thronged  to  hear  him. 

His  friends  begged  him  to  turn  back  and  not  go  to  Worms.  One 
of  them  who  had  a  strong  castle  sent  a  band  of  knights  to  persuade 
him  to  let  them  hide  him  there,  but  Luther  answered  fearlessly, 
“Though  there  may  be  as  many  devils  in  Worms  as  tiles  on  the  roofs, 
I  will  enter.” 

On  the  morning  of  April  16th  a  trumpet  call  sounded  from  the 
dome  of  the  cathedral  in  Worms. 

“He  is  coming !  He  is  coming !”  cried  the  men  in  the  streets. 

People  left  their  dinner  tables  and  hurried  out  to  catch  a  sight 
of  the  fearless  monk.  In  front  of  the  hotel  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John 
the  carriage  stopped.  As  Martin  Luther  stepped  out  the  crowd  pressed 
close  about  him.  He  raised  his  eyes.  Up  the  street,  down  the  street, 
at  every  door  and  window  were  throngs  of  people  whose  eyes  were 
fastened  upon  him. 

18 


“God  be  with  me,”  prayed  Martin  Luther,  as  he  suddenly  realized 
that  the  eyes  of  all  Germany  were  fixed  on  him. 

On  the  next  day  at  four  o’clock  the  summons  came  for  him  to 
appear  before  the  great  Diet  or  Council  of  the  empire,  in  the  bishop’s 
palace.  Such  throngs  of  people  filled  the  streets  that  the  imperial 
herald  and  marshal,  sent  to  conduct  Luther  into  the  presence  of  the 
emperor,  could  not  get  through.  They  were  obliged  to  go  back  through 
the  garden  and  alleys.  People  sat  on  the  roofs  near  the  palace,  hoping 
to  catch  at  least  a  glimpse  of  Martin  Luther  as  he  passed. 

Into  the  great  hall  the  herald  led  the  solitary  monk  in  his  simple, 
black  robe.  As  the  doors  opened,  a  graybearded  general  stepped  to 
Luther’s  side,  and  laid  his  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

“Little  monk,  little  monk,”  he  said  earnestly,  “you  are  about  to 
go  into  a  more  terrible  battle  than  I  and  my  knights  have  ever  fought, 
but  if  your  cause  is  just  and  God  is  with  you,  go  forward  boldly,  and 
have  no  fear !” 

The  shouts  of  the  crowd  outside  followed  him  as  the  door  was 
closed.  “Luther,  our  Luther !”  “God  bless  our  Dr.  Martin !”  “Be  not 
afraid!”  “Play  the  man!” 

Inside  the  atmosphere  changed.  A  sudden  chill  that  was  colder 
than  the  April  day  fell  on  the  monk  as  he  approached  the  throne.  He 
was  no  longer  with  his  friends.  On  the  throne  chair,  rich  with  its 
costly  gold  brocade,  sat  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  About  him  were 
the  princes  of  the  realm — archbishops,  cardinals,  electors,  margraves 
and  dukes,  and  besides  all  these  the  ambassadors  of  all  the  great  rulers 
of  Europe.  His  eyes  rested  for  a  moment  on  the  kindly  face  of  good 
Elector  Frederick  of  Saxony.  Then  he  turned  to  the  emperor.  As 
Charles  V  saw  the  slight  figure  of  the  unpretentious  monk  who  fol¬ 
lowed  the  herald  he  said  with  scorn  to  his  nobles  beside  him : 

“Is  that  the  monk?  He  will  never  make  a  heretic  of  me!” 

On. the  table  in  front  of  the  Emperor  were  piled  a  number  of 
books.  Martin  Luther  recognized  the  titles  of  books  he  had  written. 

Suddenly  the  chancellor’s  voice  broke  the  silence : 

“Martin  Luther,  his  imperial  Majesty  has  summoned  you  here  that 
you  may  recall  and  retract  the  words  you  have  written  in  these  books, 
published  by  you  and  spread  abroad.  First,  do  you  confess  that  these 
books  bearing  your  name  on  the  title  page  were  written  by  you? 
Second,  will  you  recall  and  retract  what  you  have  said  in  them,  or  will 
you  reaffirm  what  is  written  therein?” 

“Let  the  titles  of  the  books  be  read,”  called  out  a  voice.  As  the 
titles  were  named,  one  by  one,  Luther  bowed  his  head  in  acknowled- 
ment. 

When  the  list  was  completed  he  raised  his  head  and  said  in  a  low 
voice,  “I  cannot  deny  that  I  have  written  all  the  books  named,  and  I 
have  also  written  some  others  not  mentioned  here.” 

The  emperor  waited  for  the  answer  to  the  second  question.  Martin 
Luther  went  on : 

“As  to  the  other  question,  it  is  too  grave  to  be  answered  in  a  word ; 
for,  not  having  considered  what  I  am  to  reply,  I  might  not  answer 
wisely,  and  might  utter  either  more  or  less  than  the  exact  truth. 


19 


“Therefore  I  beg  that  your  imperial  Majesty  will  give  me  time  to 
consider,  that  I  may  answer  the  question  without  denying  my  Lord 
or  losing  my  own  soul.” 

The  princes  turned  to  each  other  with  excited  comments.  “Do 
not  give  him  time,”  whispered  one,  “he  is  weakening,  he  will  recant.” 
“Did  you  notice  in  what  a  low  tone  he  spoke?”  said  another,  “It  is 
evident  he  is  frightened.  Threaten  him  now  that  he  will  be  burned 
at  the  stake  and  he  will  retract.” 

The  chancellor  spoke.  The  buzz  of  voices  ceased  suddenly.  “His 
Majesty  grants  a  delay  of  twenty-four  hours,”  announced  the  chancellor. 

The  herald  led  the  way,  and  Martin  Luther  followed  him  back 
to  his  room  at  the  Knights  of  St.  John.  The  rumor  spread  through 
the  city  that  Martin  Luther  had  been  frightened  by  the  great  council 
and  that  he  would  retract  the  next  day. 

The  following  day  the  imperial  herald  came  again  to  lead  Luther 
before  the  emperor. 

“Is  it  true  that  our  Dr.  Martin  was  frightened  by  the  mighty 
princes,  and  that  he  will  recant  ?”  asked  anxious  friends. 

“When  he  gives  his  answer  you  will  know,”  said  Justus  Jonas, 
who  was  in  the  room  next  to  Luther’s  in  the  hotel.  “All  night  we 
have  heard  him  praying.  ‘O  Thou,  my  God,’  he  prayed,  ‘stand  by  me 
against  the  wisdom  of  the  world !  It  is  Thy  cause,  not  mine.  For 
mine  own  honor  I  am  not  concerned.  With  these  great  men  of  the 
world  I  have  nothing  to  do.  I  am  ready  to  sacrifice  my  life  as  patiently 
as  a  lamb.  But  the  cause  is  Thine;  Thou  must  help  me  defend  it.’  ” 

The  crowds  gathered  in  even  greater  numbers  than  on  the  pre¬ 
ceding  day.  Again  the  herald  was  compelled  to  lead  Luther  through 
the  garden  and  the  alleyway.  A  hush  of  expectancy  fell  on  the  assembly 
of  princes  as  he  entered  the  hall.  Would  the  little  monk  confess 
today  that  he  had  been  wrong  and  seek  their  powerful  protection? 

The  chancellor’s  voice  rang  out :  “Martin  Luther,  you  requested 
yesterday  a  delay  which  has  now  expired.  Now,  therefore,  answer 
the  inquiry  of  his  Majesty  who  has  manifested  so  much  indulgence. 
Are  you  prepared  to  defend  all  your  writings  contain,  or  do  you  wish 
to  retract  any  part  of  them  ?” 

The  princes  leaned  forward  to  catch  every  word  of  the  answer. 
The  torches  had  been  lighted  as  the  April  twilight  fell,  and  their  rays 
illumined  the  robes  and  the  jewels  of  the  emperor  and  his  counsellors. 

The  monk  in  his  simple  black  robe  took  a  step  forward  and  began 
to  speak.  “Most  serene  Emperor,  and  you,  illustrious  princes  and 
gracious  lords,  I,  upon  this  day,  appear  before  you  in  all  humility, 
according  to  your  command  and  I  implore  your  Majesty  and  your 
august  Highnesses  by  the  mercies  of  God  to  listen  with  favor  to  the 
defence  of  a  cause  which  I  am  well  assured  is  just  and  right.  I  ask 
pardon  if  by  reason  of  my  ignorance  I  am  wanting  in  manners  that 
befit  a  court,  for  I  was  not  brought  up  in  kings’  palaces,  but  in  the 
seclusion  of  the  cloister. 

“Two  questions  were  put  to  me  yesterday  by  his  imperial 
Majesty;  the  first,  whether  I  am  the  author  of  the  books  whose  titles 


20 


were  read ;  the  second,  whether  I  wish  to  revoke  or  defend  the  doctrine 
I  taught.  I  answered  the  first  and  I  adhere  to  the  answer.” 

A  murmur  rose  among  the  princes. 

“Silence!”  shouted  the  chancellor  sternly.  He  turned  to  Luther 
and  motioned  for  him  to  continue. 

The  voice  of  the  monk  became  yet  more  firm.  “As  to  the  second, 
I  have  composed  writings  on  very  different  subjects.  In  some  I  have 
discussed  faith  and  good  works.  My  adversaries  themselves  confess 
that  these  writings  are  profitable  and  should  be  read.  Even  the  Pope 
acknowledges  this;  what  then  should  I  be  doing  if  I  were  now  to 
retract  these  writings  ?  I,  alone  of  all  men  living,  should  be  abandon¬ 
ing  truths  approved  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  friends  and  enemies, 
and  opposing  doctrines  that  the  whole  world  glories  in  confessing.” 

Again  a  murmur  rose  among  the  princes.  “Silence!  Silence!” 
called  the  commanding  voice  of  the  chancellor. 

Martin  Luther  spoke  again,  “I  have  written,  secondly,  certain 
books  against  the  errors  of  the  Church  and  the  Pope.  To  retract  this 
is  to  strengthen  the  tyranny.  Shall  I  now  become  an  infamous  cloak 
to  hide  and  cover  all  kinds  of  sin  and  oppression?” 

Almost  unconsciously,  Duke  Frederick  spoke  out.  “Our  Dr. 
Luther  speaks  like  a  man.” 

Protests  arose  all  over  the  hall.  “Silence!  Silence!”  commanded 
the  chancellor. 

“Thirdly,”  continued  Luther,  “I  have  written  books  against  such 
persons  as  have  defended  the  tyranny  of  Rome,  and  destroyed  the  faith 
of  the  righteous.  I  may  have  written  too  violently;  I  am  only  a  man. 
If  I  have  spoken  evil  bear  witness  of  the  evil.  I  implore  you  to  prove 
to  me  by  the  authority  of  the  prophets  and  the  apostles  that  I  am 
wrong;  as  soon  as  this  is  done  I  will  retract  all  my  errors  and  will 
myself  be  the  first  to  seize  my  writings  and  commit  them  to  the  flames.” 

The  young  emperor  leaned  forward,  “The  monk  speaks  with  a 
fearless  heart  and  unshaken  courage!”  he  said. 

Impatiently  the  chancellor  silenced  the  comments  and  murmurs 
of  the  princes.  “You  have  not  yet  given  answer.  You  are  not  here 
to  question  the  decisions  of  councils,  you  are  required  to  give  a  clear 
and  distinct  answer.  Will  you  or  will  you  not  retract?” 

Martin  Luther’s  voice  rang  out  clear  and  distinct  in  the  silence 
that  fell  on  the  hall : 

“Since  your  most  serene  Majesty  and  your  mighty  Highnesses 
require  of  me  a  simple,  clear  and  direct  answer,  I  will  give  one  that 
has  neither  teeth  nor  horns.  This  is  my  answer:  I  cannot  submit 
my  faith  to  either  pope  or  councils,  for  it  is  as  clear  as  noonday  that 
they  have  often  fallen  into  error,  and  even  into  self-contradiction. 
Unless  I  am  convinced  by  the  Word  of  God  Himself,  by  which  alone 
my  conscience  is  bound,  I  neither  can  nor  will  recant  anything!  It  is 
neither  right  nor  safe  for  a  Christian  to  speak  against  his  conscience.” 

The  silence  that  had  been  almost  breathless  was  broken  by  mingled 
shouts  of  anger  and  admiration  from  various  parts  of  the  hall. 

“Down  with  the  heretic !”  “Nay,  he  has  spoken  bravely.  We  will 
defend  him.”  “He  must  reftact.  He  must !  Threaten  him  !”  “He  must 
be  made  to  retract.” 


21 


The  emperor  arose  and  faced  Luther.  There  was  still  opportunity 
to  retract,  but  above  the  tumult  and  argument  of  the  princes  rose  once 
more  a  clear  and  unfaltering  voice: 

“I  can  retract  nothing.  Here  I  stand !  I  cannot  do  otherwise. 
God  help  me!  Amen!” 

The  emperor  dismissed  the  Diet. 

“The  greatest  moment  in  moden  history”  (according  to  Thomas 
Carlyle)  had  passed.  In  that  moment  Martin  Luther  had  not  failed. 
In  the  old  palace  at  Worms  he  had  made  for  the  Protestant  church  of 
all  the  ages  an  unshaken  stand  on  the  Word  of  God  as  the  only  rule 
of  its  faith  and  life. 

LUTHER  AT  WORMS 

Into  the  splendor  of  the  vaulted  hall, 

Aglow  with  banners  and  with  rich  brocade, 

The  black-robed  monk  in  answer  to  the  call 
Of  herald,  stood  alone  and  unafraid. 

Outside,  the  crowd  an  anxious  tumult  made; 

“Our  Luther !  May  God  help  him  by  His  might !” 

They  cried  from  housetops  where  they  stood  and  prayed. 

The  mitred  prelate  and  the  belted  knight 
Within,  sat  nodding  at  the  monk  from  lofty  height. 

“Do  you  recant  these  words?”  Through  the  hushed  air 
The  question  fell.  May  faith  thy  spirit  gird, 

O  “little  monk” !  Of  what  thou  say’st  beware ! 

By  breath  of  thine  the  king’s  robes  are  not  stirred, 

Yet  round  the  world  thy  answer  shall  be  heard. 

He  faces  that  mailed  throng,  uncowed  by  fears. 

“God  be  my  help ;  I  stand  upon  His  word !” 

Rings  out  his  answer  on  their  waiting  ears, 

And  naught  shall  silence  it  throughout  the  coming  years. 

He  stood,  a  priest  of  God,  the  miner’s  son, 

Who  swerved  not  for  man’s  scorn  nor  man’s  applause. 

For  men  and  nations  yet  unborn  he  won 

Freedom  of  conscience.  This,  the  one  great  cause 

For  which  he  stood.  Nor  would  he  cringe,  at  threats,  nor  pause 

At  beck  of  cardinal  or  pope.  In  vain 

Their  subtle  arguments  in  measured  clause ; 

Forgotten,  now,  the  nuncio’s  clever  brain ; 

Forgotten,  too,  the  warrior  and  his  conquered  slain. 

But  he  shall  live  who  valued  not  his  life; 

Whose  heart  no  fear  of  sword  or  flames  could  daunt ; 

Who,  loving  peace,  yet  gave  himself  to  strife ; 

Brought  low  with  homely  words  the  arrogant; 

Defied  Rome’s  threats  with  courage  adamant, 

And  when  the  shining  armour  lies  in  rust, 

That  quiet  answer,  “I  will  not  recant” — 

That  challenge  to  God’s  truth,  a  sacred  trust, 

Shall  live  in  human  hearts  when  crowns  and  thrones  are  dust. 


22 


LUTHER:  AN  APPRECIATION* 

PRESERVED  SMITH  ' 

It  takes  a  bold  man,  at  this  date,  to  attempt  to  write  something 
fresh  about  Luther.  Estimated  by  the  catalogue  of  the  British  Museum, 
which  would  certainly  not  err  in  favor  of  the  German,  more  has  been 
written  about  the  Reformer  than  about  Shakespeare  or  Napoleon  or 
Dante.  In  fact,  no  other  name  in  this  catalogue,  save  that  of  Jesus 
Christ,  exceeds  or  approaches  the  amount  of  space  given  to  registering 
the  titles  of  works  about  Martin  Luther.  In  Germany,  how  many  of 
the  most  famous  historians,  from  Flacius  Illyricus  to  Lamprecht,  have 
written  about  him  ex  professo.  The  list  would  include  Sleidan, 
Seckendorf,  D.  F.  Strauss,  Ranke,  Doellinger,  Janssen,  Pastor,  Denifle 
and  Freytag.  Almost  all  German  theologians,  from  Melanchthon  to 
Harnack,  have  been  obliged  to  define  their  attitude  to  Luther.  And 
very  many  of  the  other  great  Germans  have  said  something  notable 
about  him,  among  them  Goethe,  Lessing,  Heine,  Herder,  Kant, 
Nietzsche,  Fichte,  Hegel,  Schlegel,  Durer  and  Frederick  the  Great. 

Many  Frenchmen  have  left  interesting  opinions  about  him.  Napo¬ 
leon  spoke  of  him  from  the  standpoint  of  the  indifferent  politician ; 
Bossuet  wrote  a  large  book  against  him,  and  Voltaire  visited  him  with 
a  portion  of  the  sarcasm  he  expended  on  Christianity  generally.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  noble  tributes  to  the  Reformer  have  been  uttered 
by  Calvin  and  Beza,  Michelet  and  Victor  Hugo. 

England  has  perhaps  had  more  to  say  about  Luther  than  any 
nation  save  his  own.  Until  rather  recently  the  general  tone  has  been, 
save  among  the  Romanist  minority,  one  of  warm  appreciation.  At 
present  the  Church  of  England  is  coming  more  and  more  under  the 
influence  of  the  party  which  rejoices  in  the  name  of  Catholic  and 
repudiates  that  of  Protestant.  It  almost  seems  as  if  the  High  Church 
Anglican  is  more  hostile  to  the  Reformers  than  is  the  Roman  Catholic. 
Thus  J.  Neville  Figgis  brackets  Luther  and  Machiavelli  as  two  con¬ 
temporary  corrupters  of  European  morals.  Thus  the  University  of 
Cambridge  gives  an  honorary  doctorate  in  divinity  to  Denifle  for  his 
notorious  work  on  Luther,  a  work  rightly  branded  by  Gooch,  an 
English  scholar  of  repute,  as  “among  the  most  repulsive  books  in 
historical  literature.”  It  is  quite  in  tune  with  the  prevalent  fashion 
that  socialists  like  Bernard  Shaw  and  Belfort  Bax,  and  neo-catholics 
like  Chesterton,  should  each  have  their  sneer  for  Luther.  But  at  an 
earlier  time  England  believed  she  owed  much  to  the  prophet  of  Witten¬ 
berg.  That  the  English  Bible  was  translated  largely  from  his  German 
version,  that  most  of  his  important  works  were  Englished  and  widely 
read,  and  that  the  famous  Thirty-nine  Articles  themselves  were  princi¬ 
pally  founded  on  his  formulas,  is  generally  known.  With  many  of  the 
religious  leaders  in  England,  such  as  Tyndale,  Cranmer  and  Wesley, 
his  influence  has  been  decisive.  Among  the  great  writers  and  historians 
who  have  praised  him  have  been  John  Foxe,  Thomas  Nash,  Milton, 

^Reprinted  from  the  “American  Lutheran  Survey”  of  March  14,  1917. 


23 


Creighton,  Beard,  Carlyle,  Coleridge,  Browning,  Wordsworth,  De 
Quincey,  Walter  Pater  and  J.  A.  Symonds.  Others,  like  Francis 
Bacon  and  Thomas  Brown  have  expressed  a  more  neutral  opinion  of 
him,  and,  of  course,  there  have  not  been  wanting  Catholics  like  Thomas 
More,  David  Lyndsay  and  Cardinal  Newman  to  anathematize  him. 

With  something  of  what  has  been  said  by  these  men  and  others, 
in  my  mind,  I  cannot  pretend  to  offer  any  novel  or  original  contribu¬ 
tion  to  the  understanding  of  Luther’s  character.  I  can  only  point  out 
a  few  of  the  principal  traits  long  known  by  everyone  at  all  familiar 
with  the  life  of  the  great  Reformer. 

First  and  foremost  he  was  a  religious  man.  What  with  most  men 
is  rather  subordinate,  though  rarely  totally  absent,  was  with  him  the 
ruling  passion  and  guide  of  life.  He  felt,  as  did  Paul,  that  the  things 
which  are  seen  are  transitory,  whereas  the  unseen  things  are  eternal. 
To  him  God  and  the  Devil,  heaven  and  hell,  were  more  real  than  food 
and  drink,  suffering  and  death.  When  Carlyle  says  that  the  bravest 
thing  Luther  ever  did  was  throwing  his  inkstand  at  the  Devil,  he 
illustrates  with  an  apocryphal  anecdote  a  profound  truth.  Luther 
often  said  that  his  spiritual  temptations — which  appeared  to  him  as 
vivid,  personal  struggles  with  the  Evil  One — were  far  more  severe 
than  the  storms  of  a  life  of  peril. 

Jesus  Christ  was  an  ever  present  friend  to  His  disciple.  “The 
best  thing  theology  can  teach  us  is  to  know  Christ,”  said  Luther,  and 
it  was  by  this  rule  that  he  tested  the  books  of  the  Bible :  “What  teaches 
Christ,  that  is  Scripture,  even  if  Judas  and  Pilate  had  written  it.”  It 
was  because  he  found  nothing  of  Christ  in  the  Epistle  of  James  that 
he  “expelled  James  from  the  university.”  One  of  his  most  touching 
and  beautiful  sayings  about  Jesus  is  this:  “Even  if  Christ  were  only 
a  man,  yet  He  would  be  worthy  of  great  honor,  for  He  deserved  well 
of  us,  doing  much  good  and  no  evil,  not  to  mention  that  He  is  very 
God  and  Saviour.” 

Luther’s  greatest  quality  was  his  utter  sincerity.  The  Rev.  F.  S. 
Buchanan,  of  Oxford,  has  well  said  of  this : 

“I  may  say  that  spiritually  I  owe  more  to  Martin  Luther  than  to 
any  of  my  own  countrymen,  and  am  under  a  greater  debt  to  him  for  his 
bravery,  for  his  courage,  for  his  truth,  for  his  humanity,  and  for  his 
total  absence  of  all  hypocrisy.  If  you  ask  me  what  was  the  grand 
thing  about  Martin  Luther,  it  was  that  the  man  had  not  a  line,  not  a 
trace  of  hypocrisy  in  his  whole  composition.  I  think  this  can  scarcely 
be  said  truly  of  any  other  great  ecclesiastic.” 

In  comparing  Luther  with  Calvin  it  seems  to  me  that  the  most 
fundamental  difference  between  the  two  is  that  the  former  was  by 
nature  a  poet,  the  latter  essentially  prosaic.  I  do  not  deny  the  greatness 
of  Calvin’s  intellect  nor  his  moral  earnestness,  but  nevertheless  to  me 
he  lacks  just  that  which  makes  Luther  one  of  the  most  attractive 
personalities  of  history.  Save  for  “Ein’  Feste  Burg,”  whose  sublime 
music  has  been  carried  by  a  ceaseless  pilgrim  chorus  for  four  hundred 
years,  Luther’s  greatest  poetry  is  not  found  in  his  verses.  It  comes 
out,  rather,  in  his  expressions  of  tenderness  to  wife  and  children,  and 
in  some  of  his  wonderful  sayings  about  nature.  He  gazed  at  the  stars 


24 


and  reflected :  “He  who  built  that  shining  vault  must  be  a  good  master- 
workman.”  He  looked  at  the  deer  gambolling  in  the  woods  and  he 
blessed  them.  In  the  rabbit  he  tried  to  save  from  the  hounds  he  saw 
an  image  of  the  soul  pursued  by  wicked  men  and  devils.  Of  the 
violets  he  said :  “These  first  summer  flowers  are  as  blue  as  the  sky ; 
neither  the  Grand  Turk  nor  the  Emperor  could  pay  for  them  in  all 
the  world.”  When  he  saw  the  birds  nesting  in  the  eaves  he  exclaimed : 
“Dear  birds,  I  love  you;  why  can  you  not  trust  me?”  At  Feste 
Coburg  he  looked  out  on  the  crows  and  daws  holding  a  diet  in  the 
coppice  under  his  windows,  and  he  wrote : 

“They  care  not  for  a  large  place  to  meet  in,  for  their  hall  is 
roofed  with  the  vault  of  heaven,  its  floor  is  a  carpet  of  green  grass 
and  its  walls  are  as  far  as  the  ends  of  the  earth.  They  do  not  ask 
for  horses  and  trappings,  having  winged  chariots  to  escape  snares 
and  keep  out  of  the  way  of  man’s  wrath.” 

In  the  same  spirit,  he  wrote,  in  the  autumn  of  1534,  in  the  form 
of  a  letter  from  the  “pious,  honorable  birds,”  a  complaint  against  a 
fowler  who  was  setting  nets  to  catch  them.  It  closes  with  the  words : 
“Written  in  our  lofty  home  in  the  trees  with  our  usual  quill  and  seal. 
Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air:  for  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap 
nor  gather  into  barns ;  yet  your  heavenly  Father  feedeth  them.” 

The  well-bred,  dissipated  and  weary  man  of  the  world  may  arrive 
at  the  point  when  he  can  truly  say  that  his  motto  is  “nil  admirari.” 
But  in  the  poet  the  faculty  of  wonder  is  always  fresh.  So  it  was 
with  the  Saxon,  who  said  in  one  of  his  sermons : 

“The  miracle  of  the  manna  helped  the  children  of  Israel  little,  for 
it  became  common  and  they  did  not  regard  it.  So  the  sun  rising 
daily  on  us,  though  a  great  miracle,  has  become  so  customary  that 
we  think  it  cannot  be  otherwise.  Likewise  we  esteem  it  no  miracle 
that  corn  and  wine  grow  early,  yet  by  these  and  other  daily  miracles 
— for  the  growth  of  the  corn  from  the  seed  is  as  great  a  miracle  as  the 
manna — our  faith  ought  to  be  strengthened.” 

At  another  time,  in  a  sermon  of  1538  he  said: 

“If  we  opened  our  eyes  and  ears  the  corn  would  speak  to  us: 
Be  happy  in  God ;  eat,  drink  and  use  me  and  serve  your  neighbor.  I 
will  fill  the  ground.  As  the  cows  go  out  and  return,  were  I  not  deaf, 
I  should  hear:  Rejoice,  we  bring  butter  and  cheese;  eat,  drink  and 
give  to  others.  The  hens  say :  We  will  lay  eggs.  The  birds  say,  We 
birds  will  hatch  our  young.  Thus  I  like  to  hear  the  pigs  grunt,  for 
they  give  us  meat  and  sausage.  All  creatures  speak  with  us.” 

Humor  has  become  so  important  an  element  of  modern,  and 
especially  of  American  life,  that  it  almost  seems  as  if  the  worst  thing 
one  could  say  of  a  man  nowadays  is  that  “he  lacks  a  saving  sense  of 
humor.”  This  blighting  charge,  which  might  be  preferred  against 
several  theologians,  could  not  be  brought  against  Luther.  He  was  full 
of  joy  and  of  jokes.  Like  Lincoln  he  often  knew  how  to  meet  a  hard 
situation  with  a  jest,  and,  like  Shakespeare  he  was  addicted  to  the  bad 
habit  of  punning.  Some  of  his  stories  are  a  little  simple,  as  that 
telling  how  a  rustic  swallowed  a  robin  whole  and  heard  it  keep  on 
chirping  until  he  drank  some  beer  to  drown  it.  Sometimes  he  would 

25 


good-naturedly  take  off  the  weaknesses  of  his  companions.  Thus  he 
found  much  amusement  in  quoting  “The  just  shall  live  by  his  faith” 
in  Greek  to  his  wife,  and  hearing  her  reply,  “Good  heavens !  who  said 
that?”  Bugenhagen’s  prolixity  in  the  pulpit  furnished  him  a  mark 
for  some  satire.  Thus  he  told  how  a  woman  excused  herself  for 
putting  half-cooked  food  before  her  husband  by  saying  that  she 
thought  Bugenhagen  was  going  to  preach  that  day,  and  that,  if  he 
had,  the  meat  would  have  been  done  to  a  crisp.  In  similar  lightsome 
spirit  he  alluded  to  the  habit  of  his  friend  Jonas  of  coughing  and 
spitting  in  the  pulpit. 

It  is  characteristic  of  the  naive  spirit  of  the  sixteenth  century  that 
Luther  occasionally  found  matter  for  jocularity  in  the  Bible.  It  was 
surely  with  a  smile  that  he  said  it  was  so  marvelous  a  book  that  he 
would  have  to  be  dead  several  hundred  years  before  he  understood 
it  all.  The  mutual  recriminations  which  he  imagined  Adam  and  Eve 
exchanged  after  eating  the  apple,  were  wittily  described  by  him.  On 
one  occasion  he  jocosely  affirmed  that  in  order  to  preach  understand- 
ingly  about  the  drunkenness  of  Noah  he  would  have  to  get  drunk 
himself.  He  was  merciless  in  satirizing  his  enemies.  Thus  in  1534 
or  1535  he  wrote  a  burlesque  summons  to  a  general  council  in  the 
form  of  a  letter  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  signed  by  Gabriel  as  notary  and 
witnessed  by  Michael  the  Provost  of  Paradise  and  Raphael  the 
Physician  of  God.  Thus  also,  in  1542,  he  ridiculed  the  collection  of 
relics  at  Mainz  by  drawing  up  a  list  of  them  containing  such  items 
as :  “A  fair  piece  of  Moses’  left  horn,”  “a  large  wisp  of  Beelzebub’s 
beard,”  “a  whole  pound  of  the  wind  which  blew  for  Elijah  in  the  cave 
on  Mount  Horeb,”  and  “a  great  big  piece  of  the  shout  of  the  children 
of  Israel  with  which  they  cast  down  the  walls  of  Jericho.”  In  order 
to  understand  these  familiarities  with  sacred  subjects  one  must  re¬ 
member  the  medieval  miracle  plays  in  which,  with  no  intentional  ir¬ 
reverence,  Bible  stories  were  enacted  with  a  realism  bordering  on  the 
comic. 

No  man  can  be  really  great  unless  he  has  a  heart  as  well  as  a 
brain  and  a  will.  Luther,  whose  intellect  was  one  of  the  most  active 
and  capacious  of  his  time,  and  whose  will  was  the  strongest  and  most 
passionate,  added  this  also  to  them  that  he  was  a  man  of  warm  and 
tender  affection.  He  was  a  good  son  and  brother.  He  cared  for  no 
less  than  eleven  of  his  own  orphaned  nephews  and  nieces  not  counting 
several  of  Catharine’s  relatives.  At  a  time  when  the  position  of 
woman  was  less  secure  than  it  is  -now  Luther  was  not  only  devoted 
to  his  wife,  but  treated  her  with  more  consideration  than  most  of  his 
contemporaries  were  capable  of.  Sir  Thomas  More  is  often  pointed 
to  as  one  of  the  finer  spirits  of  that  age,  but  he  was  able  to  write  a  * 
heartless  epigram  saying  that  the  principal  use  of  a  wife  is  to  die  and 
leave  her  husband  her  fortune.  When  his  own  wife  did  die  he  married 
again  within  a  month  of  her  death.  And  yet  he  was  rather  better 
than  his  contemporaries.  Erasmus  praises  him  because,  he  says, 
More  got  more  work  out  of  his  wife  by  jokes  than  most  husbands 
did  by  harsher  methods.  But  Luther  always  spoke  kindly  both  of 
his  wife  and  to  her.  His  letters  are  full  of  affection  towards  her. 


26 


He  thanked  God  for  her  as  the  best  of  all  His  gifts;  he  would  not 
trade  her  for  the  dominions  of  France  and  Venice.  To  his  friend 
Jonas  he  wrote  that  if  Katie  died  he  would  never  marry  again.  For 
his  children  Luther  was  a  wise  and  loving  father.  It  is  true  that  he 
believed  in  more  corporal  punishment  than  most  of  us  now  do,  but 
he  spared  neither  care  nor  thought  nor  time  on  their  education.  The 
greatest  sorrow  of  his  life  was  the  death  of  his  daughter  Magdalene. 

As  a  friend  he  was  loyal.  From  the  first  day  he  knew  Melanch- 
thon  to  the  last,  he  loved  and  praised  him,  ranking  his  friend’s 
accomplishments,  with  perfect  sincerity,  far  above  his  own.  At  the 
death  of  Hausmann  he  wept.  Least  of  all,  in  his  friendships,  was  he 
a  snob.  He  treated  his  sovereign  the  Elector  and  his  servant  Sieberger 
as  his  equals.  To  all  whom  he  knew  and  to  the  poor  he  was  generous 
to  the  point  of  prodigality. 

I  am  not  writing  a  panegyric  of  Luther  but  an  impartial  estimate. 
He  was  a  man  of  like  passions  with  other  men,  often  tempted  and 
often  falling.  Had  he  been  more  perfect,  he  would  have  been  less 
human.  Even  his  faults  are  full  of  character,  of  that  personality 
which  is  both  the  most  fascinating  and  greatest  thing  in  the  world. 
He  was  so  great  and  rugged  that  his  defects  stand  out  more  sharply 
than  they  would  in  lesser  men.  In  many  ways  he  was  a  paradox, 
combining  the  most  opposite  traits. 

He  was  both  a  dreamy  mystic  and  a  practical  man  of  affairs. 
He  saw  visions  and  he  knew  how  to  make  them  realities.  He  was  both  a 
cold,  scholastic  logician,  and  an  enthusiastic,  God-intoxicated  prophet. 
During  the  day  he  worked  painfully  at  his  dogmatic  distinctions  and 
in  the  evenings  he  took  his  flute,  considered  the  stars  and  melted  in 
melody  and  devotion.  He  could  be  as  rough  and  as  wild  as  the  storm 
uprooting  the  oak ;  and  he  could  be  as  tender  as  the  zephyr  caressing 
the  violet.  His  hymns  soar  to  heaven  and  some  of  his  stories  and 
jests  trail  on  the  earth.  He  was  touched  with  profound  melancholy 
and  yet  he  had  a  ready,  wholesome  laugh.  He  was  subtle  and  simple ; 
mirthful  and  wise ;  narrow  and  sublime. 


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Painter,  F.  V.  N. :  “Luther  on  Education.”  1889.  $1.00. 

Peter,  M.  L. :  “A  Miracle  Among  Men.”  1917.  $0.10.  North  Liberty,  Ind. 
Peter,  P.  A. :  “History  of  the  Reformation.”  1916.  $0.35.  Lutheran  Book 
Concern. 

Remensnyder,  J.  B. :  “What  the  World  Owes  Luther.”  1917.  $0.50.  Revell. 
Reu,  J.  M. :  “Dr.  Martin  Luther’s  Leben.”  $0.35.  Wartburg. 

*These  Bibliographies  are  essential. 


28 


*Reu,  J.  M. :  “Thirty-five  Years  of  Luther  Research.”  1917.  $1.00.  Wart- 
burg. 

Kidd,  B.  J. :  “Documents  Illustrative  of  the  Continental  Reformation.”  1911. 
Oxford.  Clarendon  Press.  Document  No.  42,  page  82,  Luther’s  Answer 
before  Emperor  and  Diet.  18.  April  1521  (In  Latin). 

*McGiffert,  A.  C. :  “The  Protestant  Reformation.”  (Bulletin  of  the  General 
Theological  Library,  53  Mt.  Vernon  St.,  Boston.  Special  reading  list  No. 
28,  1917.)  .....  . 

A  select  list  of  titles  in  English  with  approved  annotations.  Includes 
countries  outside  of  Germany. 

McGiffert,  A.  C. :  “Martin  Luther,  the  Man  and  His  Work.”  New  York. 
Century.  1911. 

Perhaps  the  most  readable  biography  of  Luther. 

Rue,  J.  M. :  “The  Life  of  Dr.  Martin  Luther  for  the  Christian  Home.”  Done 
into  English  by  Emil  H.  Rausch.  Chicago,  Wartburg,  1917. 

*Smith,  Preserved :  “Life  and  Letters  of  Martin  Luther.”  Boston  and  New 
York.  Houghton,  Mifflin,  1911.  Popular  edition  1914. 

Presents  Luther  a  great  character  rather  than  as  a  great  theologian. 
Valuable  bibliography  (pp.  433-475). 

*Smith,  Preserved:  “Age  of  the  Reformation.”  New  York.  Holt.  1920.  “The 
excuse  for  writing  another  history  of  the  Reformation  is  the  need  for  putting 
that  movement  in  its  proper  relations  to  the  economic  and  intellectual  revolu¬ 
tions  of  the  sixteenth  century.” 

Has  classified  bibliography,  pp.  751-817. 

*Smith,  Preserved:  “The  Last  Decade  of  Luther  Research.”  (Paper  read  be¬ 
fore  the  American  Church  History  Society,  December,  1920,  will  be  printed 
in  Harvard  Theological  Review,  June,  1921). 

Contains  bibliography,  especially  a  list  of  the  books  on  Luther  and  the 
Reformation  which  have  been  printed  in  Germany  since  1916. 
Singmaster,  Elsie:  “Martin  Luther.  The  Story  of  His  Life.”  Boston  and 
New  York.  Houghton  Mifflin.  1917. 

The  popular  life  of  Martin  Luther. 

Wentz,  A.  R. :  “When  Two  Worlds  Met,  or  The  Diet  at  Worms.”  Phila¬ 
delphia.  United  Lutheran  Publication  House.  1921.  Especially  written  for 
1921  celebration.  Prices :  Cloth  65  cts.,  paper  35  cts. 

Waring,  Luther  Hess :  “The  Political  Theories  of  Martin  Luther.”  1910.  G. 
P.  Putnam’s  Sons. 

*Wolf,  G. :  “Quellenkunde  der  deutschen  Reformations  Geschichte.”  2  Vols. 
1915-1916. 

Luther’s  Primary  Works  translated  by  H.  Wace  and  C.  A.  Buchheim.  1896. 
London.  Hunter  &  Stoughton. 

FICTION 

Davis,  W.  S. :  “Friar  of  Wittenberg.”  1912.  $0.75.  Augsburg. 

Richards :  “The  Knight  in  Gray.” 

Seebach,  Margaret  R. :  “Martin  of  Mansfeld.”  1917.  United  Lutheran 
Publication  House. 

*These  Bibliographies  are  essential. 


29 


Celebration  Helps 


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30 


